Phuket City travel guide

Phuket City was given city status in 2004, although most islanders still call it “Phuket Town”. This upgrade came as a surprise to many who still regard it as a sleepy provincial hub, hardly big or bustling enough to merit the city crown. Treated largely as a stopover by divers en route to the Similan or Surin islands and beach junkies headed further up the coast, Phuket City is now anxious to revamp its image and pull in a more sophisticated crowd. So, in addition to its Sino-Portuguese architectural heritage, which is reminiscent of Georgetown in Malaysian Penang – a leftover of the wealthy Chinese tin barons of the 19th century – there is a burgeoning arts and literary scene and even a foreign film festival once a year. It seems to be working as, increasingly, the city’s incomers include weary Bangkok urbanites hankering for a business by the sea and expat foodies attracted by the city’s excellent restaurant reputation. But Phuket City is still small enough and swamped enough by the glory of the beaches, to be down the pecking order. Not that this matters to the old-timers who can still remember when the town was surrounded by virgin forest. This is, perhaps, the card up Phuket City’s sleeve – a subtle confidence underneath the tourist glitter, especially in the old town, and a feeling that another chapter is unravelling in this prosperous settlement. A cooler, hipper Phuket could easily emerge if the arts scene gets beyond the cottage industry feel and allows itself to be injected by that incoming Bangkok and expat buzz. But they will need to ward off the bland cloned high streets that have taken over so many of the beaches west of the city. What will aid Phuket City is that there are still some old and grand buildings left, rare in Thailand, and a magnet for those with an eye for architecture.

At the end of the 19th century, Phuket Town, one of the richest settlements in the country, saw a flowering of Sino-Portuguese mansions built by tin-barons revelling in their wealth. In Old Phuket you’ll still find houses and shops in styles similar to that of Penang and Macao and dating back 100 to 130 years. Featuring complex latticework, Mediterranean coloured ceramic tiles, high ceilings and gleaming wooden interiors, these architectural dreams, remain cool in the summer and free of damp during the monsoon. While the style is commonly called Sino-Portuguese, many were actually built by Italian workers who imported materials straight from their homeland. Once a year at the end of the Old Phuket Town Festival in mid-December, these houses are open to the public. The best examples are along Thalang, Yaowarat, Ranong, Phangnga, Krabi, Dibuk, Rassada, Soi Romanee and Damrong roads.

There are night markets on Ong Sim Phai and Tilok Uthit 1. These are excellent places to buy spicy rolls and other street foods on a nocturnal prowl through the old town. Khao Rang Viewpoint is a romantic spot atop a large hill in Phuket City. Although the view isn’t quite as stunning as at Promthep Cape, Khao Rang is a cool place to watch over the whole of the city. There’s also a fitness park up here if you feel like a bit of exercise. There are a few reasonable Thai restaurants around that offer the same great views. To reach Khao Rang, you need to make your way up the hill by either travelling from Yaowarat Road on to Soi Vachira, turning right at the end of the soi and following the hill up; or take the turn up to Khao Rang at the point where Thung Kha Road and Mae Luan Road meet....read more